


A love to survive the test of reality

by HazelBite



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Reality, Dual Reality, M/M, Off-screen Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-06
Updated: 2012-09-06
Packaged: 2017-11-13 16:18:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/505399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HazelBite/pseuds/HazelBite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Companion piece to my semi-abandoned multi-chaptered Harry/Cedric alternate reality fic (which has not been posted anywhere online yet).</p>
            </blockquote>





	A love to survive the test of reality

**Author's Note:**

> A short piece written for the sortinghatdrabs LJ community, week 80. Received runner-up votes!  
> Found here http://sortinghatdrabs.livejournal.com/92274.html#cutid1

Harry looked up from his paperwork as Ron walked into his office.

"Hey, Harry.”

"What's up?"

"Bones just brought in an unusual case," Ron began hesitantly, seating himself on the edge of Harry's desk.

"What are the offenses?"

"Suspected Polyjuice abuse and impersonating a deceased person."

"Doesn’t sound that unusual," Harry commented.

"There's more," Ron went on carefully. "The guy had this on him."

Ron laid a photograph on the desk in front of Harry who reached out to pick it up.

It was a wizarding photograph, which was not strange, but the two figures in it were.

Harry was looking at himself in formal robes, robes he knew he didn’t own. He watched himself gaze, lovestruck, at his companion who was turned slightly away from the viewer.  
It was obviously another man.

"Keep watching," Ron told him and Harry saw the other man turn to look at the camera with a familiar winning smile.

Harry's stomach dropped.

It was Cedric Diggory who looked older than seventeen. He turned the picture over to check for a date. There, written in what was definitely Cedric’s handwriting, were the words ‘Our wedding - year 1998.’

Ron went on, “the imposter said he would only talk to you. Said that you would understand.”

Harry ran his finger over Cedric’s face and couldn’t help but wonder if this would have been their future if Cedric had lived. He studied the image of Cedric very carefully and noticed a long scar running down the left side of his face. He also looked tired under his current happiness, like he had seen things he shouldn’t have for someone so young. In fact, Harry in the picture looked the same, with eyes that said more than words.

 

When Harry stepped into the cell block, a voice drifted over to him and his heart clenched in recognition

“Harry?”

He turned to see the likeness of Cedric, who was staring at him as though he were water in the middle of a desert. Harry stood motionless; he never thought he’d get to see his face again.

“You did it. You must have if you’re an auror now.”

“Did what?” Harry asked before he could stop himself. He was distracted by the long scar down Cedric’s face. It matched the picture.

“Defeated Voldemort.”

“Who…?” Harry began but was cut off by Cedric.

“I’m from another reality and I’ve come to ask for your help.”

Harry realized that this is why Cedric would talk only to him; he was the only one outside of the unspeakables who knew about the obscure form of magic that could transport you to a different reality.

“Why?” Harry asked softly.

Cedric swallowed thickly and said, in a wavering voice, “in my reality, Voldemort killed you three years ago and took over the wizarding world.”


End file.
